Helmet safety device for auto racing

ABSTRACT

What is disclosed herein is a helmet safety device. The helmet safety device comprises a predetermined length of auto racing harness strapping having two ends, each end having a fastening buckle that fastens to an auto racing helmet. The strapping is comprised of short lengths of auto racing harness strapping, held together in a plurality of locations along said strapping, by tear away stitching thread.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Restraint devices for auto racing are quite common and there are many varieties in existence. Typically, head restraint systems surround the neck and are perched on the shoulders for support. They are strapped and buckled mainly down the front of the driver.

Recently, these devices have been re-configured to include an additional head restraint as well, which is a strap-like device that is connected by buckles to bolts or the like on helmets. The strap of the strap-like device, after buckling one side to a helmet, is passed around behind the head and neck restraint, fastened to the head and neck restraint system by fasteners that allow for the strap to slide either way in a horizontal direction, and then the opposite end of the strap is connected to the opposite side of the racing helmet.

The head and neck restraints are lightweight, carbo-composite structures that are designed to be used together with the vehicle's racing-harness system to help prevent head and neck injuries in frontal or side impacts. The fasteners that allow for the strap to slide either way in a horizontal direction, allow full movement of the head from side to side.

One such head restraint can be found in U.S. patent publication 2002/0178492 A1 that published on Dec. 5, 2002. The device includes a pair of anchor straps that are worn along the back of the driver and have a first end which connects to the driver's helmet by use of hooks and tethers and the second end which extends between the drivers legs for connection to a seat belt assembly.

There is a neck protection device disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,638,510 that issued Jan. 27, 1987 to Hubbard in which there is shown a yoke with a high collar that has tethers attached to a helmet.

U.S. Pat. No. 4,664,341 that issued to Cummings, on May 12, 1987 deals with a head restraint system using a circular track that surrounds and is affixed to the pilot's helmet.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,123,408 that issued Jun. 23, 1992 to Gaines deals with a flexible support brace that connects the driver's helmet to a brace that extends down the back of the driver and connects to a shoulder harness.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,272,770 that issued Dec. 28, 1993 to Allen, et al deals with a head restraining system that has belted tethers attached to a helmet on one end and then attaches to a shoulder harness on the other end.

There is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,009,566 that issued Jan. 4, 2000 to Hubbard, a belt attachable neck restraint that attaches to a helmet.

U.S. Pat. No. 4,909,459 that issued to Patterson on Mar. 20, 1990 deals with a strapping restraint that attaches to a helmet and the opposite end attaches to a retraction means.

None of the prior art devices deal with a strapping device that has tear-away stitching to reduce the forward movement of the head during deceleration of the vehicle.

THE INVENTION

Thus, what is disclosed and claimed herein is a helmet safety device. The helmet safety device comprises a predetermined length of auto racing harness strapping having two ends, each end having a fastening buckle that fastens to an auto racing helmet.

The strapping is comprised of short lengths of auto racing harness strapping, held together in a plurality of locations along said strapping, by tear away stitching thread.

In another embodiment, there is disclosed in combination, a helmet safety device as described Supra, wherein, in addition, there is a strap tightener on the strapping.

A further embodiment is a combination that includes a helmet safety device as described Supra, an auto racing helmet, and, an auto racing neck restraint.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a view in perspective of a prior art safety device known as the HANS Safety Device, including the fasteners and buckles.

FIG. 2 is a view in perspective of a prior art helmet with the Hans device shown in place behind a head and neck restraint and attached to a helmet.

FIG. 3A is a view in perspective of the device of the instant invention, including the fasteners and buckles.

FIG. 3B is a close up of the stitching area.

FIG. 3C is a close up of another stitching area.

FIG. 3D is a close up of yet another stitching area.

FIG. 4 is a close up of the stitching of a device of the instant invention.

FIG. 5 is a view in perspective of a device of this invention showing a tightener in the strap.

FIG. 6 is a full side view of a grommet used to fasten the strap to the back of a neck restraint.

FIG. 7 is a view in perspective of a helmet and a device of this invention in combination.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Turning now to FIG. 1, there is shown a head restraint safety device 1 of the prior art which is manufactured by HANS. There is shown the strapping 2, the fasteners 3, screws 4 for attaching the fasteners 3 to a neck restraint apparatus, and buckles 5 for attaching the device to a helmet.

The use of the prior art safety device 1 is shown in FIG. 2, which is a prior art combination of the HANS device 1 and a racing helmet 6, showing the placement of the strap 1 behind the head restraint apparatus 15.

FIG. 3A shows the helmet safety device 7 of the instant invention in perspective. There is shown a racing strap 16, having buckles 8 for attachment to a racing helmet (not shown), grommet fasteners 9 for fastening the strap to the backside of a neck restraint (not shown), stitched strap segments 10 shown enlarged in FIGS. 3B, 3C, and 3D.

The stitching 11 (one example is shown in FIG. 4) is determined with regard to what counter-force one desires to achieve in restraint, when the head jolts forward during a front end deceleration of the vehicle. The stitching 11, can be several segments of strap and stitching (that is, can be several areas of stitching), can be determined by the number of stiches taken in any given segment, can be determined by the type of and strength of the thread used for the stitching, can be determined by the configuration of the stitching, and so forth. The stitching segments can be from 1 to 12 units. The entire device 7 can vary between 9 inches and 24 inches long.

FIG. 4 is a helmet safety device of the instant invention shown a tightener 12 in the strap for adjustability of the length of the strap 7 for each individual driver.

FIG. 6 is a full side view of a grommet that can be used to fasten the strap, slidably, to the back of a neck restraint. Shown is the grommet 9, the screws necessary to fasten the grommet 9, and the openings for the screws 14, shown in phantom.

FIG. 7 is a view in perspective of a combination of a device 7 of this invention, a racing helmet 17 and a neck restraint 18.

Using the device of the instant invention, and in the event of a collision, the stitching tears away giving the head more room to slow down to a stop rather than an abrupt halt, thus, reducing/eliminating the brain movement inside the skull. The device gives the head minimal more room to go forward to keep the head and neck injuries in line with the current standards of racing today. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A helmet safety device, said helmet safety device comprising: A. a predetermined length of auto racing harness strapping, said auto racing harness strapping, having two ends; B. each said end having a fastening buckle that fastens to a auto racing helmet; C. said strapping being comprised of short lengths of auto racing harness strapping, held together in a plurality of locations along said strapping, by tear away stitching thread.
 2. In combination, A. a helmet safety device as claimed in claim 1 wherein, in addition, there is B. a strap tightener on said strapping.
 3. In combination: A. a helmet safety device as claimed in claim 1; B. an auto racing helmet, and, C. an auto racing neck restraint. 